What's Happening in Taganga?
When I first landed in Santa Marta, I was warned to stay away from Taganga.
"They're loud, they're pigs, they don't care about anything".
Their reputation had been tarnished - but something called me there anyways. I wanted to see for myself, what was the whole story.
Once I got there, I met many Tagangueros who took me under their wing, taught me Spanish, and showed me the side of the town no one talks about — its history, its heart, and its potential.
Yes, Tagangueros know how to throw a loud party, and some may have lost touch with their sacred connection to the Madre Tierra — but that is not the whole story.
This town is organizing, dreaming big, and ready to welcome visionary partners like you. Together we can help Taganga become The Carribbean's First 90% Zero-Waste Town?
Taganga was once a small fishing town. That was how everyone made their living—catching fish, selling fish, sharing fish at family tables. A river ran through the heart of the pueblo, where people washed their clothes and carried water back to their homes.
There were no lights after sunset. No plastic bottles or bags drifting in the sea. Nights were quiet, families gathered close, and life followed the rhythm of the ocean.
That was only thirty years ago.
And now—look at it.
Away from the tourist areas, it’s easy to forget what’s really happening. Without containers, trash piles up at the edge of town and the wind scatters it across the mountains. What stays hidden from visitors is part of daily life here — and part of why we’re fighting for a zero-waste Taganga.
Sunday night in Taganga, outside the church. The tourists are gone, but the trash remains. By Monday it will be cleaned — but not before the wind and rain drag it through the streets and into the sea. This cycle has to end.
Away from the tourist areas, it’s easy to forget what’s really happening. Without containers, trash piles up at the edge of town and the wind scatters it across the mountains. What stays hidden from visitors is part of daily life here — and part of why we’re fighting for a zero-waste Taganga.
From Trash to Treasure: A Zero-Waste Future
What if every piece of plastic on this beach was actually gold? What if it could be restored, converted or sold?
What if Taganga could build it's own recycling and art center?
We believe that's possible. And one by one, the people of Taganga are joining our mission, proving that they too believe in this dream. That Taganga could actually become
The Caribbean’s First 90% Zero-Waste Town
Why Taganga? Why Now?
This work has never been only about plastic. It is about honoring a way of life - and caring for a culture that has learned, for centuries, how to live in relationship with the sea.
In the heart of Taganga stands the oldest church in South America, quietly watching generations come and go. At dawn, fishermen still head out with nets and harpoons, carrying knowledge passed down by hand, by tide, by memory. Here, the ocean is not a backdrop - it is a provider, a constant presence woven into daily life.
What comes next could unfold in two very different ways.
One path is familiar across the world: mass tourism arriving faster than care, land exchanged for short-term gain, and coastlines reshaped by outside interests. Locals who are priced out of their own way of life. We've seen this story play out in places like Hawaii.
But Taganga holds something different.
Its strength is rooted in deep ecological intelligence — in instincts shaped by land, sea, and survival. Where others see simplicity, we see wisdom. Where others see limitation, we see knowledge waiting to be honored. This community is not asking to be saved; it is ready to be supported.
That is why we are calling in a different kind of visitor — people who come not to consume, but to contribute.
Travelers who understand that true prosperity means paying full value for what matters: the first community recycling and sustainable art center, accessible language education, beach cleanups, animal care, and long-term stewardship of place.
Here, we have a rare opportunity: to protect what makes Taganga sacred while thoughtfully connecting it to the global economy. To prove that a community can thrive without losing itself — honoring its ocean, its land, its people, and the stories that belong to them.
And we’re looking for people like you —
those willing to step into this story with care, curiosity, and respect.
Be Part of History
Come stand with us as we transform a fishing village into a model for the world.
You can support this work in two ways:
Volunteer in Taganga
Join our hands-on program and witness the change with your own eyes. From beach cleanups to teaching, from recycling to art, you’ll take part in building something that has never existed here before.
Support from afar
Your support helps fund the creation of the region’s first Recycling + Sustainable Art Center — a living space for environmental action, creativity, and local entrepreneurship.
Planting Good Seeds is a mission-driven for-profit organization. *Contributions are not tax-deductible, but they directly support on-the-ground work, fair local compensation, and long-term community infrastructure.*
